A senior military official decried US stance on an operation by Iraqi Army to liberate the city of Mosul from the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group, saying Americans appear to be using regional developments to influence the outcome of the forthcoming US presidential election.
In comments on Saturday, Deputy Chairman of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Masoud Jazayeri said the US “suspicious conduct” amid Iraq’s military operation to retake Mosul derives from “political motives”, Tasnim News Agency reported.
He said Washington has taken the operation hostage with the aim of influencing American voters ahead of the November 8 US presidential election.
“The western military coalition against IS has never had any determination to fight off the terrorists,” the commander said, stressing that the US plans to deploy IS militants from Iraq’s Mosul to Syria’s eastern border areas to save them.
The Iraqi Army, backed by Federal Police and Hashd al-Shaabi—also known as Popular Mobilization Forces—launched an offensive on October 16 to liberate Mosul from IS control.
The terrorists made advances in northern and western Iraq in summer 2014, after capturing swaths of northern Syria.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints